The Mandie Collection (49 page)

“I dun raised you myself, and I expects you to listen to me when I talks to you,” Aunt Lou continued. “Now, I wants to know where you git dat word, anyhow.”

Liza shuffled her feet and nervously answered, “Dat girl whut come visit dat Cornwallises' cook, she dun tole me 'bout dat word last week. Dat's where I git de word.”

“If I ketches you sayin' dat word agin den I be gwine over fo' a talk wid dat cook. Now, you git on wid yo' work,” Aunt Lou said.

Although Aunt Lou had not even looked directly at Mandie during
this conversation with Liza, Mandie had gradually edged her way over to the door and now she slipped out into the hallway without a word. Aunt Lou was angry. Mandie had never seen the old woman so upset, and she didn't want anything to do with it all. She hoped Liza obeyed Aunt Lou because she sounded like she meant that threat of shutting Liza up in the tunnel.

Mandie hurried upstairs to her room, washed up, and changed her clothes. She thought about the confrontation between Aunt Lou and Liza the whole time she was getting ready for supper. Maybe Liza didn't understand what voodoo was and needed to learn something about it in order to realize it was, as Aunt Lou had said, not Christian. Mandie didn't know that much about it, and she didn't think she could help Liza, but she would try to think of someone who could.

When Mandie got back down to the parlor, the boys were already there and to her surprise they were sitting near each other and talking. The only other person in the room was her grandmother, who was seated in a chair by the fireplace.

“Amanda, dear, come sit by me,” Mrs. Taft said as she looked up to see Mandie come into the room.

Mandie smiled as she walked past Joe and Jonathan and pulled up a footstool by her grandmother's chair. “Are you going with us later over to Polly's house?” Mandie asked as she sat down.

“Yes, I suppose I'll have to, Mrs. Cornwallis being your mother's neighbor and all,” Mrs. Taft replied. “Things have been moving so fast since we got here that I'd really rather stay here and catch my breath, but it's Christmastime and there's always so much to do.”

“I know what you mean, Grandmother,” Mandie said. “And everybody gets all wound up, and sometimes there are words spoken that should not have been.”

Mrs. Taft quickly looked at her and asked, “Why, Amanda, have you been having words with someone, dear?”

“No, Grandmother, it was Liza and Aunt Lou,” Mandie replied, and then she suddenly had an idea. “Liza needs someone to talk to her and explain things, and I believe you are the right person to do this. I know she looks up to you.”

“What on earth are you talking about, Amanda?” the lady asked.

Mandie went on to explain the events concerning voodoo. “I know Aunt Lou is trying to teach Liza, but she doesn't give any explanation
or anything. I'm afraid Liza doesn't understand the reason why she shouldn't believe in that stuff. She doesn't really know what it is, I don't think. And I believe if you talked to her she would listen to everything you say.”

“Well, I certainly don't want to interfere with Aunt Lou's authority over Liza,” Mrs. Taft said.

“But you wouldn't be. You would actually be helping Aunt Lou out because she is not educated enough to know how to handle this,” Mandie said. Then looking up at the lady with her blue eyes, she added, “Please, Grandmother?”

“I suppose ... if the right opportunity presents itself I could talk to Liza. I'll see,” Mrs. Taft promised.

“Thank you, Grandmother,” Mandie said, reaching to squeeze the lady's hand. Grinning up at her, she added, “You know, it's a pity you were born rich because you would have made a good teacher.”

“Amanda!” Mrs. Taft exclaimed. “I would never have the patience with unruly children to teach them anything.”

Elizabeth and Mrs. Woodard came into the parlor then, with John Shaw, Dr. Woodard, and Lindall Guyer right behind them.

“I've just checked with Aunt Lou, and I believe she's ready for us to go into the dining room,” Elizabeth said as she looked around the room.

Everyone rose and followed her into the dining room. They hurried through the meal and then went over to Polly's house.

The young people did most of the decorating. Mandie noticed that Mrs. Cornwallis and her visiting relatives seemed more interested in carrying on a conversation with the other adults than putting up a Christmas tree. Also, the Cornwallises' servants were not invited to join in as John Shaw's had been. And Polly followed every move Jonathan made. He kept glancing at Mandie and smiling behind Polly's back.

Mandie was glad when it was finally time to go home and go to bed. She was tired. It had been a long day.

But then the next day was a long day, too. So many people and so many things going on.

As soon as breakfast was over, Elizabeth suggested going downtown to purchase the baskets, and everybody wanted to go. It turned out to be time consuming just trying to keep up with everyone, but Christmas spirit filled the air. Carolers were on street corners. The
children's school choir was singing on the steps of the courthouse. Now and then Mandie noticed a shopper joining in the songs. And a few snowflakes fell, glistening on the town's street decorations and then fading away.

“This is all so different from Christmastime in New York,” Jonathan remarked as he walked along with Mandie, Joe, and Polly, who were trying to keep up with the adults. “It seems more personal somehow, more real.”

“This is only the second Christmas I've been here in Franklin,” Mandie told him. “I was raised in the country in Swain County, you know, and things were different there, too. There were a lot more things going on at people's houses and at the school and at the church.” She leaned forward to look up at Joe, who was on the far side of their group. “You still live there, Joe. You know how it is.”

“Yes, it's not as convenient to go into Bryson City and shop as it is to live in Franklin and just walk downtown,” he said with a smile.

Jonathan looked at Joe and said, “I'd like to visit your part of the country sometime. I'm not especially what you'd call a city person. I suppose I've lived in so many cities, going to school and all that, that I'm tired of it.”

Joe replied as they walked on, “You'd be welcome at our house any time you want to come visit.”

Mandie smiled as she looked from one boy to the other and said, “I'm so glad.”

Polly had been silent until now and she asked, “Glad about what?”

“Glad to know Joe and Jonathan have become friends,” Mandie answered.

“Well, we certainly aren't enemies,” Jonathan said with a big grin.

“I hope not,” Joe said, laughing.

As they continued along the street, Polly turned to Mandie again and asked, “Do you think I could come visit, too, when you go?”

“Of course, Polly. Remember, I own my father's house now, and although Mr. Smith lives in it to take care of it, I still would like to go see it for myself now and then,” Mandie replied.

“But you always stay with us,” Joe said.

“Yes, and you're going away to college next school year, so we'd better all try to get out there before then,” Mandie reminded him.

“Maybe next summer when school is out,” Jonathan suggested.

“That would be a good time to come see us,” Joe said.

The adults had finally found the baskets for sale and stopped to purchase some. An old woman in a stand on the corner across from the courthouse had the ones made by the Cherokee people.

“Amanda, these are the baskets Uncle Ned brought in,” Elizabeth told Mandie as she examined the piles of merchandise.

“I would like to take some back for Miss Prudence and Miss Hope at my school,” Mandie said. “And I'd also like one for myself. And I must get one for Celia, too.”

“Now, wait a minute,” Jonathan teased. “You can't buy them all because I want some, too.” He began sorting through the pile.

Lindall Guyer inspected the baskets and said, “I must buy some of these for some friends back in New York. I'm sure they've never seen baskets handmade by the Cherokee Indians.” He reached to pick one up.

Mrs. Woodard decided she wanted one for a bread basket, even though the Woodards had been longtime friends of the Cherokee people and had bought such things from them before.

Everyone ended up with baskets to carry, but they came in handy as containers for other purchases they made along the way.

When they returned to the house, Liza opened the front door for them. Mrs. Taft was the last adult to enter, and Mandie heard her speak to Liza.

“I wonder if you could come up to my room for a few minutes, Liza,” Mrs. Taft told the young girl.

Liza looked at her in surprise and said, “If it take long, I has to ax Aunt Lou, 'cause she dun give me work to do.”

“Of course, ask Aunt Lou,” Mrs. Taft told her. “I'll be in my room.” She went down the hallway to the stairs.

“Yessum,” Liza said, looking after the lady. “I go ax.”

Mandie smiled to herself. She knew why her grandmother had asked Liza to go to her room. Maybe she would be able to make Liza understand things.

“What are we up to now?” Joe asked as he came down the hallway behind Mandie.

Mandie stopped to turn around and look at him, and Jonathan and Polly, who were following. “Would anyone be interested in going off in a different direction for the treasure map in the box?”

“Sure, I'd be interested in seeing everything while I'm here,” Jonathan told her. “Anywhere you want to go is fine with me.”

“Her uncle John owns a lot of territory around here,” Polly said.

“He even owns a ruby mine,” Joe added.

“Really? I've never seen a mine of any kind,” Jonathan said, looking at Mandie.

“The Burnses, Ludie and Jake, they live on Uncle John's property, and Jake takes care of the mines. Uncle John has several mines. Jake could tell you all about them,” Mandie said as they still stood in the hallway.

“But I'd rather you show them to me,” Jonathan said.

“I can show you the ruby mine, but the others are too far off,” Mandie said. “Let's go to our rooms and get rid of all these packages first.” She started toward the staircase.

“I'll be back in five minutes,” Joe said.

“I'll go up with you, Mandie,” Polly said, following Mandie.

“I'll see you all in the parlor,” Jonathan said.

They all hurried up the stairs and to their different rooms to deposit the things they had bought.

Mandie found Snowball asleep on her bed. She quickly put her packages in the bottom of the wardrobe and closed the doors. Then she looked at Polly and said, “Maybe you'd better put your things in here with mine. Snowball has a bad habit of tearing up packages sometimes.” She reopened the doors, and Polly added her purchases.

“Don't you think Jonathan is interesting?” Polly asked as she picked up a hairbrush on Mandie's dresser, removed her hat, and began brushing her hair.

“Of course,” Mandie agreed. “I'd better let Mother know where we're going. Are you ready?”

Polly quickly laid down the brush and put her hat back on. “I'm ready,” she said, following Mandie out the door.

Mandie stopped by her mother's room to say they were taking Jonathan around the property, and Elizabeth reminded her to be back in time for the noon meal.

As the two girls went along the corridor toward the staircase, they met up with Jonathan and Joe.

“Supposed to meet us in the parlor,” Mandie teased as she and Polly walked on.

“Right,” Joe said with a laugh as he raced ahead and down the stairs.

Jonathan quickly followed him.

Then as Mandie and Polly started down they met Liza.

The young girl stopped Mandie on the steps. “Missy 'Manda, yo' grandmama, she want me up to huh room,” she said.

“Then you'd better go on, Liza,” Mandie said with a smile.

“She ain't nevuh axed me to come up special to huh room,” Liza said, still standing there.

“Maybe it's something special she wants you to do,” Mandie suggested. “We have to go on, Liza. Joe and Jonathan are waiting for us in the parlor.”

Liza looked from Mandie to Polly and back again as she said, “Where you be gwine dis heah time?”

“All around. Jonathan wants to see everything,” Mandie said.

Liza looked serious as she said, “Don't be forgittin' 'bout de graveyard, Missy 'Manda.”

“The graveyard?” Mandie answered. “Oh, of course, we'll go over to the cemetery so I can show him my little brother's grave. He knows about him. Thanks for reminding me.”

“I'd rather go wid y'all than up to see yo' grandmama,” Liza said.

Mandie laughed and said, “Liza, you'd better go on and see what my grandmother wants. She doesn't like to be kept waiting.” She went ahead down the stairs.

“Guess I have to,” Liza said as she went on up the steps.

Mandie laughed as she and Polly walked on toward the parlor.

“Why is Liza afraid of your grandmother, Mandie?” Polly asked.

“I don't think she's exactly afraid of Grandmother. She just believes my grandmother is somebody extra special because of all her money and jewels and everything,” Mandie said.

“But I've always heard that your uncle John is the richest man this side of Richmond, and Liza isn't afraid of him,” Polly told her.

Mandie laughed again. “That's because she was born and raised right here in this house,” she said.

They came to the door of the parlor, and Joe and Jonathan quickly
left the room to join them in the hallway. They were ready to go anywhere.

Mandie thought of Liza again. She hoped her grandmother could make the girl understand why Aunt Lou had been so angry with her.

CHAPTER ELEVEN